Connor Van Scoyoc, a 2018 graduate of Cedar Rapids Jefferson, showed his strengths on the mound in high school and didn’t stop developing there. PBR ranked him 1st overall in the state and gave him the 38th RHP spot in his class nationally. In 2016, he attended the Future Games while being committed to Arizona State. Two years later, he participated at the Super 60 to represent Iowa and was the PBR Iowa Player of the Year. That summer Van Scoyoc was drafted to the Angels in the 11th round. Between demanding work, confidence, and help from others, he was able to find success.

 

Van Scoyoc’s family played a role in the success. “My grandpa was a pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers, and he told me that there's going to be a lot of different coaches that try to tell you what to do and kind of figure out what's best for you,” he said. “But ultimately, you're the person that's playing the game and need to be the one that picks and chooses what is best for you. So that's probably the most important thing I've learned.”

PBR showcases can open the door for possibilities. “It's another opportunity for coaches to see you play,” Van Scoyoc said. “You don't always have your best day. But if you do have a good day and someone important sees it, thank god they got that opportunity to see you play because of a PBR showcase.”

It is essential to be unique. “Everybody else throws hard just like you, so you have to find something else that puts you above them, makes you different, and makes you special,” he said.

Potential college coaches can also help with development. “You want to show a lot of respect to the coaches that talk to you or even coaches that don't talk to you,” Van Scoyoc said. “You might get offended by something or something they say you need to work on, but take it as constructive criticism and work on those things.”

As a professional player, Van Scoyoc still finds himself growing. “Playing baseball against other people from Iowa is different from playing baseball against people from outside of the country,” he said. “I always thought I was pretty good until you see somebody that was just born throwing 95 miles an hour. It’s a different type of struggle. You lose confidence a little bit, and you just have to put much more work into it.”

Connor Van Scoyoc 2/4/18

 

Family, showcases, and advice. It can all help turn a young high schooler into a great baseball player. But Connor Van Scoyoc continues to grow and find success throughout, even when it is hard. And it is all thanks to some hard work, confidence, and support.

 

Savannah Dennis is currently a senior at Johnston High School and has been working for Prep Baseball Report Iowa as an intern since October 2020. She has been managing the Johnston baseball team since she was a freshman and has also worked for the Iowa Sticks team as a data collector. Outside of the baseball industry, Savannah is the Print Editor for the Johnston Black & White newspaper. In the fall, she plans on going to college and majoring in statistics while managing the chosen school's baseball team.